1. Ka — A massive Cirque du Soleil production that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the time — high-tech meets Cirque du Soleil at the MGM Grand in an experience you’ll never forget.
2. O — It’s a tie between this “must see” Cirque du Soleil production in, above and around the water, and the awe-inspiring production and stage movements of Ka. They are both spectacular and indescribable. How fitting a show with the class of this is at the Bellagio.
3. Donny & Marie at the Flamingo Showroom through October 2010. A super terrific show in one of the last old-time intimate Vegas showrooms.
4. Mystere — The original permanent Cirque du Soleil production in the world, here at Treasure Island. It may not have the water or a really fancy moving stage like you’ll find in O or Ka, but it’s still one of the best, and perhaps one of the better price performers for a great seat on the Strip as well.
5. Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular — You may have seen it on stage elsewhere, but this 95 minute production with all the songs, a $40M theatre, redone effects and a chandelier beyond your imagination is awaiting you at the Venetian.
6. David Copperfield — You’ll find him performing at the MGM Grand in the more intimate 700-seat Hollywood Theatre a few times a year when he’s not on tour elsewhere. Perhaps today’s greatest illusionist. He’s got an attitude about him, but no one can beat his magic, and if you see him at THIS place, you’re so close you’ll never forget your utter amazement.
7. Jersey Boys — a perfect fit for Vegas
8. The Lion King — at Mandalay Bay — the biggest production yet
9. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art – Exhibits change every few months, but the Monet and Ansel Adams shows have been wonderful

Others

These don’t make Da Guy’s “must see them again” list you found above, but are certainly worth your consideration at least once!

1. Love — Beatles meet Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage
2. Le Reve — At Wynn, it’s good, but not quite a Cirque du Soleil show even though it’s by the director of Mystere and O, just down the Strip.
3. Wayne Brady — Improvisation at the Venetian several times a year
4. Jay Leno — He’s at the Mirage a couple of times a year
5. Blue Man Group — Percussion, audience participation, and blue men at the Venetian

Free-Bees

There are not a lot of bargains and there isn’t much that’s free in Vegas any more, but here’s some of Da Guy’s favorites you should give a try:

1. Bellagio Fountain — Different music in the afternoons and evenings — a must see many times. Check out some of the photos in the album up above.
2. Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand — Usually after 11AM in the morning you can see the live ones while you play those slots. Be sure to check out any baby cubs tucked away inside.
3. Mirage Volcano — The first “free show” concept on the Strip compliments of Steve Wynn. Watch it blow its top every hour in the evening.
4. The Sirens of TI — Scantily clad women are in the lead these days as Treasure Island attempts to change its image, but it’s still a pirate show with cannons and a sinking ship just like you’d see on a Hollywood set, when you get down to it. Da Guy just does not get the new plot, assuming there is one. Super big-time free production on the Strip. Plays several times every evening, assuming the weather, including the wind holds. Get there early for a great viewing spot.
5. Rio Masquerade Parade in the Sky — Howz about a little Mardi Gras over the casino?

References

• Anaheim, home of THE original — Disneyland Resort
• Ancient bristlecone pines — oldest living thing on earth at 4,767 years and counting!
• Bishop — A great little desert town, right on that bend of 395 at 4,000 feet!
• California Visitors Bureau
• Check out Huell Howser’s PBS productions of California Gold. They are not to be missed as he explores the people and places in this vast and wonderful State.
• Death Valley — talk about diversity!
• Los Angeles County — including the big city out west
  • Downtown Webcam
  • Check out some of Da Guy’s Favorite Theatres in Hollywood and LA
  • Page Museum & the La Brea Tar Pits — nowhere else like this in the middle of a big city
  • Walt Disney Concert Hall — Check out the architectural photos
• Mono Lake — about an hour and a half “up the hill” from Bishop on your way to Tahoe. Where do you think the source is of all that LA water that does not come from the Colorado River?
• Mt. Whitney — the highest point in the continental USA. Climb it like Da Guy did (many moons ago!)
• Napa Valley — grapes in Wine Country
• Newport Beach — where Da Guy spent so many summers growing up
• Palm Springs Travel & Visitors Bureau
• San Diego– Da Guy’s favorite place to live on the west coast.  It’s all about the best weather, outdoor living and activities.
  •   — Da Guy is a supporter of this place, not only for its great displays and research, but it’s outstanding educational programs informing the public about the wonders and importance of protecting the world’s oceans
  • Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Downtown Webcam
  • The Midway — Da Guy was on this aircraft carrier with work, many years ago when it’s home base was in Yokoska, Japan. After a 47-year history from WWII to Kuait, today it’s a museum awaiting your exploration next to downtown San Diego.
  • San Diego Zoo — #1 in the nation, perhaps the world, when you need your animal fix. Check out it’s sister Wild Animal Park.
  • Scripps Pier at the wonderful La Jolla Shores
  • Sea World — Home of Shamu, the dolphin show, penguins, and Seymour — right in the middle of Mission Bay
  • UCSD La Jolla Cam
• San Francisco
  • Check out what’s up at The Gate
• Yosemite — Thank you, John Muir! You too, Teddy Roosevelt!

These days, for Da Guy, it’s all about the diversity of Vegas, not necessarily gambling on those 25 cent slots — but the lights, the people watching, the shows — yes, Cirque du Soleil — and the food! No, you don’t find a lot of those free rooms and cheap buffets any more. This isn’t your Vegas of 20 years ago, and long gone are the days trying to make it a family destination, as Vegas has gone upscale. It’s now THE place to treat yourself and as the advertisements say, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”.

Have a great time, and bring your money — it won’t come home with you!

Da Guy’s Favorites

1. Bellagio
2. Aria Resort & Casino
3. Wynn Resort
4. Mandalay Bay

References

• Abbey Road Studios — you Beatles fans can take a virtual tour
• BAA Airports — all the info about where you’ll be landing
• The British Library
• 
• Currency Conversion — bucks to pounds and vice versa
• Folk Music to get you into the mood
• Gatwick Express — fastest way to and from those airports into the heart of London
• Harrods — plan your shopping experience
• London Events Calendar compliments of Britain Express
• London Eye — a “must experience” while in London!
• LondonNet — a net magazine for news and entertainment
• London Theatre Guide — scope it out
• London Tube Map — get yourself oriented
• London Walks — check out the sites on foot
• LondonTown — another place to get your bearings from
• National Gallery — the one and only in Trafalgar Square
• National Rail — all the info on UK trains and timetables
• The Official London Theatre Guide
• Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door — you’ve seen him on PBS. His site and books have lots of useful hints and tips as well
• Tate Online — what’s happening at the Tate Britain and Tate Modern
• This is London — lots of general info
• Time Out London City Guide — perhaps the best weekly listings and reviews
• Time Out London Restaurants — a great place with current reviews
• The Tower of London — a must-see
• Transport for London — learn how to get around before you go
• Transport for London Journey Planner — here’s the step-by-step way to get anywhere you want to go. A super resource!
• Tube Guru — all you ever wanted to know about London’s Tube, and more
• The “V&A” — Victoria & Albert Museum — you really must go!
• Visit London — everything that’s London

References

• Google Mars — Check it out
• Lost in Space TV
• NASA
• National UFO Reporting Center — just in case!
• Sci-Fi Channel — you watch it on cable, don’t you?
• Star Trek — the official site

Thanks to the genius of Gene Roddenberry, this is the series that started it all in the early 60′s and provided enjoyment for many of us for nearly 40 years. Of the five TV series and many movies, three Series are standouts for Da Guy:

Enterprise — the latest series which was cancelled after an all-to-short 4 seasons, set in the time before the original Star Trek. This is where it all began — establishment of the Prime Directive, early connections with the Vulcans and other species. Da Guy’s favorite series, by-far, due to the great casting, attention to detail helping to tie all the story lines from it’s predecissor series together, and great character development on-par with the much longer running TNG.  Nearly all of these episodes are worth watching again, to the degree Da Guy has the complete DVD set. The best of the best include:

• Episode 721 (#1 in the Enterprise Series) “Broken Bow” starts the human search into the far reaches of space
• Episode 7 “The Andorian Incident” is where we are introduced to the Andorian, we find out some things about the Vulcans, and Archer begins his role as negotiator between intergalatic worlds
• Episode 13 “Dear Doctor” is where the concept of the “Prime Directive” is created
• Episode 19 “Acquisition” is funny and our introduction to the Ferrengi
• Episode 35 “Singularity” is where the terms “Condition Red” and “Tactical Alert” come to be
• Episode 60 “Twilight” is all about relationships and loyalty
• Episode 62 “Similitude” will get you thinking
• Episode 67 “Harbinger” is where Tripp and Topol get hooked up
• Episode 73 “E2″ is the connection with TNG
• Episode 83 “The Forge”, 84 “Awakening”, and 85 “Kishara” start bringing this series to a close

Star Trek — the original series that started it all. A bit campy today with it’s dated aliens and special effects, but where the exploration started for so many of us around the world. Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, and all the rest

Star Trek – The Next Generation (TNG) — The series that took place after the original ended, and put us in touch with a great cast, terrific character development, Picard, and Data.

• Starship Dimensions — Ever wondered how big those ships you’ve seen are in comparison to one another? Check out Jeff’s cool site.
• UFO Evidence
• UFO Museum & Research Center — in Roswell, New Mexico

Best friends, aloha shirts, almost no suits or ties, terrific restaurants, slippers, beaches, shave ice at Matsumoto’s, fabulous resorts: the Moana Surfrider, the Grand Wailea, the Lodge at Koele, clear turquoise ocean, black bean chicken luk-fun, helicopter rides through Waimea Canyon and over Kilauea, short pants and t-shirts all year round, trade winds, Japanese pears, snorkeling, browsing along Front Street in Lahaina, the green flash, Ray’s Caesar salad and Nancy’s fabulous cookin’, lot’s of aloha, and a mai tai at the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel Mai Tai Bar watching the sunset with good friends.

There is no better place.

References

• Check out some Local Motion
• Planet Hawaii

In one glance, colors range from orange on the slopes of Waimea Canyon to the green of the pines and other vegetation, to clear turquoise ocean with so many hues of blue you’ll lose count. Helicopter rides, and the wettest place on earth at the top of a very ancient volcano with more than 600 inches of rain each year.

The place South Pacific and Jurassic Park were filmed. Puff (remember the Magic Dragon?) lives here in Hanalei. Friendly people everywhere.

It’s not where you go for a lot of night life, a lot of action, or the best beaches (although it can all be found if you give it a little effort). This is where Da Guy comes for a two or three day visit to rejuvenate and take in what Paradise IS all about.

The Gathering Place

Be sure to get an early start one morning and head out to Pearl Harbor to remember the men of the USS Arizona and the perils of World War II.

Another of Da Guy’s favorite hotels, the Moana Surfrider is here on Waikiki beach, as well as many of Da Guy’s favorite restaurants including the original Roy’s and Alan Wong’s (oh wow!). Go to Cindy’s in China Town for lei’s, try a manapua and a local plate lunch from one of the shops or wagons all around the island, and stop in at Long’s for those take-home gifts of Kona coffee, mac nut candy, and the like. Get a great aloha shirt (no touristy electric colors, please!) at the fine stores in Ala Moana Center.

Take in the many great beaches, fabulous friends, Da Guy’s extended Ohana, a culture and melting pot of people that cannot be beat, and the place where Da Guy was fortunate to live twice for a total of nearly eleven years. It’s a GREAT place and as all his friends know, a place Da Guy has never really left in spirit.

You can coast a bicycle down nearly 27 miles of a volcano — Haleakala, translated as “the House of the Sun”. This place is an adventure unto itself — you can drive up to the peak in this National Park and take in (or hike down into) the crater that last blew its cork only a 100 years ago. The views at sunrise are something you’ll never forget, and coming back down through the pastures and the clouds is always magical, no matter your mode of transportation. Do stop by the protea farms along your journey.

For those that can deal with a zillion twists and turns in a car for a lengthy day trip, the drive to Hana has some spectacular vistas, one of the few remaining black sand beaches, and roadside waterfalls that will bring many welcome surprises.

Tourists abound at this place almost everywhere you look, but it still can’t be missed by most, and remains a favorite just the same.

This is where Da Guy swam with (wild) dolphin and a good friend, Les, who grew up on the Plantation and today lives on Oahu with his own family.

It’s the place to come, play a little golf if that’s your thing, ride a horse, see the massive pine trees that were planted on the top of the island years ago to help increase the amount of rain (really!), perhaps go riding in a jeep or out on a catamaran. Certainly you’ll be able to get away from the hustle and bustle while you take in some of Paradise at it’s best. Just ask Bill Gates — this is where he bought out the island for his marriage many moons ago.